New Delhi: Sanju Samson played a captain's knock as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) cruised to an eight-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals (DC) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter in Delhi on Tuesday. Chasing a target of 156, Samson remained unbeaten on 87 off 52 deliveries, smashing seven fours and six sixes. He anchored the innings superbly, ensuring CSK reached the target in 17.3 overs and significantly boosted their net run-rate.
Match Summary
Delhi Capitals opted to bat first on a surface that offered assistance to the bowlers early on. However, they were restricted to 155 for seven in their allotted 20 overs. Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein provided an excellent start, finishing with figures of 1 for 19 and bowling 14 dot balls, which kept the scoring rate in check.
At 69 for five in the 11th over, Delhi's innings looked in trouble. However, Tristan Stubbs (38 off 31) and Sameer Rizvi (40 not out off 24) stitched together a crucial 65-run partnership for the sixth wicket, guiding the team to a competitive total of 155.
Post-Match Reactions
After the match, DC captain Axar Patel expressed his disappointment, stating that he missed his bowling partner Kuldeep Yadav, who conceded 34 runs in his three overs. "We have enough firepower in the team in batting. That was the only positive in this game. In terms of our bowling unit, I feel that I missed my partner Kuldeep tonight," Axar said.
When asked if 155 was a competitive total, Axar replied, "Yes obviously. The wicket, the way it played in the first innings, we felt that 155 was a really good score on the board. But I felt that we played with eight batters, so we were 10-15 runs short."
He added, "I felt that the wicket got better in the second innings. I felt that the set batters made the difference to be honest. When a set batter bats in the middle, they make sure that the wicket looks flat. I still felt that the wicket had something for the bowlers."
On batting conditions for new players, the DC skipper explained, "It wasn't easy to bat for the new batters. You know that the ball was holding up on the surface. It was difficult for the new batters but once you are set, you can take the game away from the opposition and a clear example is in front of you - Sanju Samson."
The win propels CSK up the points table, while DC will look to regroup in their upcoming matches.
